


well you wanted something beautiful, wished for something true

by notthebigspoon



Series: After the Rain [10]
Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-21
Updated: 2012-08-21
Packaged: 2017-11-12 15:23:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/492698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notthebigspoon/pseuds/notthebigspoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jonathan figures they're old enough and comfortable enough that they just don't give a damn what anyone else thinks anymore. If people don't like it, screw them.</p><p>Title taken from Wheels by Foo Fighters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	well you wanted something beautiful, wished for something true

They're almost never at the house in Mississippi during the season. Honestly, it never occurred to Jonathan what it looked like in the summertime. It is different. Everything's so green. He's never seen the the trees in the yard all leafed out or seen any of the flowers in bloom. The grass is neat, trim, because Eli hires a lawn service to see to it that everything's kept tidy and his mom stops by once a week to get their mail and make sure said service is actually doing their job.

It's beautiful, really. The weather has finally eased up, mid 80s with a nice breeze. Jonathan's sitting on one of the rocking chairs on the porch, root beer next to him. He's slowly rocking, just taking in the sights when his phone rings. He smiles. Eli.

“Hey you.”

“Hey yourself.”

“You just wake up?”

“About twenty minutes ago. Just now leaving the apartment.”

“Bum.”

“You're two hours ahead of me, asshole.” Eli laughs sleepily. It's rough, low, throaty. Actually, Jonathan thinks that laugh is responsible for 95% of their morning sex. “How's the kid?”

“Happy. With your mom right now.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mmhmm. Some church function.” Jonathan says, shaking his head. “I actually have no idea what it's for, something to do with food. She called me and asked if he wanted to go, she wanted to show off her grandson. She's really jumping on board with this whole outing us thing.”

“That bother you?”

It doesn't, really. A couple months ago, Jonathan would have been scared to death. Would have fought up down and sideways to stop it happening. These days, it just doesn't seem that important. He has a husband that he loves and he finally has his son with him always. Having his family, he doesn't really give a shit about anything else. The closer it gets to being completely out there, the more he relaxes. Which he thinks is maybe the opposite of how it's supposed to go. He's not sure.

He laughs. “No. Not even a little. Are _you_ worried?”

“A little.” Eli says, and that's okay. It doesn't surprise Jonathan. Eli's the thinker of the relationship, after all. He's probably already gone over the million and one ways that this could blow up in their faces. “I mean, if people give a shit, fuck them. Me and you've been together long enough to know it won't effect the game. If people don't like watching us play after... then fuck them. They don't actually give a shit about the game.”

They don't talk for a little while. Jonathan knows that Eli's thinking while he drives and he's content to just enjoy the silence. It occurs to him that this happens a lot with them. He wonders how many mobile-to-mobile minutes they've burned up just sitting there not saying anything. Eli is clearing his throat when his mom's car rolls into the driveway.

“Baby, I'll call you later. She just brought the spawn home.” Jonathan trails off, watching them climb out. He beams. “Oooh, I see food. I get pie and you do not.”

“I hate you. Actually I love you. Give them both a hug for me.”

“Si, will do.”

He hangs up and stuffs his phone in his pocket, jogging down the steps of the porch. He hugs Cindy first, cocking his head to the side and looking down at the pie that Christian holds up, beaming. Cindy smiles fondly, stroking his hair and not for the first time, Jonathan remembers how lucky he is to have married into this family. They've accepted him so completely, counted him and Christian as one of their own.

“Did you make this, mijo? Am I gonna get sick?”

“No.” Christian huffs, flashing him a glare that both Eli and his ex swear makes him look exactly like Jonathan. “Gramma and the church ladies cooked. I helped. Um... I ate.”

“A little pie never spoiled any boy's supper.” Cindy interrupts serenely, kissing Jonathan's cheek. “I've got to get home and see to getting supper started. I expect you to be there with mostly empty stomachs.”

“Yes ma'am.”

***

The first thing Eli thinks when Jonathan hangs up on him is holy shit. It's been little things, baby steps, in the past year. The pictures that go up in both of their families houses. Actually calling each other and saying 'I love you' even if they're around other people. Each finally telling their parents that it's okay, they don't have to explain it, the way that Eli and Jonathan appear to live in eachother's pockets. It's okay to tell the truth now.

All of it adding up to this, the door blowing wide open and it's going to be out there, people are going to _know_. He's scared. He loves Jonathan and he wouldn't give him up no matter what happened. It's just that there are a million and one things that could go wrong and no matter how much he loves his husband, no matter how resolute he is about their relationship, he doesn't know what's going to happen. He doesn't know what people are going to do. Not that he's worried about what people would do to him, fuck 'em, but he worries about how things will effect Jonathan.

He thinks about that no matter what the situation. When he was young, he asked his mother what love was and she'd said something about putting others ahead of yourself, which at the time he hadn't been satisfied with because it in no way explained Pepe le Pew's behavior. Now, though, now he gets it.

Putting his phone away, he grabs a book out of his locker. He's got a couple hours to waste, might as well get caught up on Harry Potter. Except he turns around and then almost shrieks, jumping back against his locker. "Fucking Christ, Gillaspie! Where the fuck did you come from? I'm going to put a freaking bell on you." 

"... sorry Whitey." Gillaspie has that puppy face again and god _damn_ him because it makes Eli feel like a jackass.

“S'okay. Just startled me was all. You gotta stop sneaking up on people.” Eli mutters, squeezing his shoulder and stepping past to make a beeline for catering. All he'd eaten at home was a granola bar, he's starving.. 

“I wasn't sneaking!” He protests, trailing after Eli. “I was just walking! You were just so busy on the phone you didn't notice me. Who were you talking to?”

“My husband.”

There. He said it. It's the first time he's said it out loud in front of someone that wasn't in on the 'secret' of his personal life. He had expected to feel liberated or something. In all honesty, he doesn't feel anything. It is what it is. And it's also totally worth it for the wide eyed look on Gillaspie's face. He can practically see the cogs turning in the kid's head, the flash of _'oh my god is he serious?!'_ in his eyes.

“Who is he? Is he hot? I bet he's hot. Does he get along with Sanchez?”

“Sanchez is the one he's married to.” Pill interrupts. Eli taps his nose and then points at Pill, tucking his book under his arm and filling a plate. He sits down across from Pill and digs in. Pill just eyes him. “Everything okay?”

“Things are fine. We both just got to the point where we don't really care if people know or not. Not gonna be a big thing. Just... if people ask, I'll be honest. If they don't, and they probably won't, I keep my mouth shut. Simple as that. If they have a problem with it, think it means I'm somehow not fit to play baseball, then fuck them and fuck their ignorance.”

Pill raises his glass. “I'll drink to that.”


End file.
